The Kansas City Royals were let down by their offense this season and ultimately missed the postseason, going 82-80 and finishing in third place in the American League Central.
They got a little bit of a boost from outfielder Mike Yastrzemski after he was acquired at the trade deadline, however. If the Royals can’t land a big bat via trade, they could always look to re-sign the free agent veteran, and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com believes doing so would be a good idea.
“Yastrzemski was idling along in San Francisco through the first four months, hitting eight home runs with 28 RBIs and a .685 OPS in 96 games, but the Royals made a Trade Deadline deal for the 34-year-old. The move seemed to breathe new life into Yastrzemski, who hit nine homers with 18 RBIs and an .839 OPS in 50 games with Kansas City, potentially giving both sides a reason to reunite in 2026,” Feinsand wrote.
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Bringing Back Mike Yastrzemski Makes Sense For Royals
Between the Royals and San Francisco Giants, Yastrzemski hit .233/.333/.403 with 17 home runs, 46 RBI, a 2.8 WAR and a .735 OPS during the regular season. He’s more of a platoon piece than a starter, but he can be used against right-handed pitching and play all three outfield positions.
2025 was by far his best season at the plate in terms of power numbers, and if he can replicate that in 2026 and build off of his strong stint in Kansas City, the Royals would be wise to bring him back.
He certainly has a lot of upside, even at 35 years old, and he would provide a little stability in the outfield as a veteran presence. The veteran also wouldn’t force the small-market Royals to break the bank.
It would likely only take a one-year contract for the Royals to be able to land him in free agency, and he could give them just what they are looking for as they hope to improve their offense for the 2026 season.
He’s also a solid backup plan if they can’t land a big bat via trade and have to alter their approach to adding more to their lineup. The Royals will be an interesting team to watch this winter after a disappointing 2025 season.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.si.com ’
